Today's hero (number 144 on our list) is the fellow that made the mask above famous, and no I do not mean Jason Voohries. The man's name is Jacques Plante, and he is the goaltender that first beginning wearing a mask full time. Before that goaltenders did not wear masks, and had to face that little puck of vulcanized rubber without any protection for their pretty faces. Plante first started wearing the mask in 1959, and hockey had been around for quite some time before that. I doubt that the goaltenders of those years ever got the girl. Not sure if you have ever held a hockey puck, but I have, and when frozen the son of bitch is HARD. It would take a lot of money to get me to put my dashing good looks on the line facing a hockey puck without a mask. Plante began wearing the mask after receiving a cut during a game, and came back onto the ice with the mask that he had been using in practice. His coach at the time did not appreciate the mask, but Plante was his only keeper at the time. Plante kept wearing the mask and his team, the Montreal Canadiens kept winning. Nothing like a winning streak to change your coach's mind about the mask. The streak reached 18 games, until Plante did not wear it at his coach's request. The Canadiens lost that game, and the mask was back to stay. Plante played for Montreal from 1953-1963, and during that time the Canadiens won six Stanley Cups, including five in a row. He won just about everything it is possible to win as a goaltender, and brought many innovations to the game. After his lengthy career, he became a much sought after goaltender coach, and even wrote a book on the training of goaltenders which remained popular for years and years. So for helping my hockey team life the cup five times in a row, and for making goaltenders pretty boys, Jacques Plante (January 17th, 1929-February 27th, 1986, at the age of 57), you are my hero of the day.
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Plante This
Today's hero (number 144 on our list) is the fellow that made the mask above famous, and no I do not mean Jason Voohries. The man's name is Jacques Plante, and he is the goaltender that first beginning wearing a mask full time. Before that goaltenders did not wear masks, and had to face that little puck of vulcanized rubber without any protection for their pretty faces. Plante first started wearing the mask in 1959, and hockey had been around for quite some time before that. I doubt that the goaltenders of those years ever got the girl. Not sure if you have ever held a hockey puck, but I have, and when frozen the son of bitch is HARD. It would take a lot of money to get me to put my dashing good looks on the line facing a hockey puck without a mask. Plante began wearing the mask after receiving a cut during a game, and came back onto the ice with the mask that he had been using in practice. His coach at the time did not appreciate the mask, but Plante was his only keeper at the time. Plante kept wearing the mask and his team, the Montreal Canadiens kept winning. Nothing like a winning streak to change your coach's mind about the mask. The streak reached 18 games, until Plante did not wear it at his coach's request. The Canadiens lost that game, and the mask was back to stay. Plante played for Montreal from 1953-1963, and during that time the Canadiens won six Stanley Cups, including five in a row. He won just about everything it is possible to win as a goaltender, and brought many innovations to the game. After his lengthy career, he became a much sought after goaltender coach, and even wrote a book on the training of goaltenders which remained popular for years and years. So for helping my hockey team life the cup five times in a row, and for making goaltenders pretty boys, Jacques Plante (January 17th, 1929-February 27th, 1986, at the age of 57), you are my hero of the day.
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